Aria hoped it held against so many Bellatis.
Dani walked a few paces ahead and cracked her knuckles. “I suggest everyone stand back. I might dislodge a mountain on you by mistake.”
Tyrez ranged up beside her while the remainder dropped back. Aria looked doubtfully at the snow-buried rocks. What did Dani hope to do with them?
The slim woman raised her hands. For a moment, nothing.
And then the rocksmoved.
Snow cascaded around the dark stone as huge sections lifted from the mountain. Smaller bits crumbled away, but Dani caught them before they hit ground, depositing them with their larger cousins off the edge of a nearby cliff.
Within moments, she’d revealed what the rockslide had hidden—another entrance.
The moment she lowered her arms, Tyrez guided her to where Ash stood. Razir led the way toward the tunnel entrance.
As Aria passed by, Tyrez kissed first Dani, and then Ash, soundly.
The passion in it ignited something deep within Aria. She wrenched her gaze away, and reached along the link to the two men who held her heart.
We’re on our way.
* * *
Lucas huddled in the shadows, and listened.
Strange grating noises echoed down the tunnel. Followed by a crash and crumble of sliding stone...
In the wake of that came a blast of icy cold air, and Aria’s words along the link.
We’re on our way.
Footsteps approached from the other direction, and he hugged the walls as Bellatis streamed past. In human form, they ran almost in step, faces tense with anticipation, and fists clenched around their horn spikes.
Running in a seething mass behind them were Demeti’s Dires, unaware their master’s bits and pieces adorned the cave they pelted past.
Somewhere at the front of all that, was Aria. Lucas rose and stared up the tunnel, just as the sounds of a battle erupted. His hands curled into fists.
Something pricked his palms. Claws.
He’d barely formed the visual before the morph took hold. It was shaky as hell—the energy provided by the crystal dust had evaporated with Demeti’s attack, and Nikolai’s vicarious shredding hadn’t left much in the tank.
Still, once he visualized the morph, his body obeyed. His entire frame swelled to twice its normal size, with hulking shoulders and a broad, maned head. Fangs the size of fingers dropped from his upper jaw, and the claws grew in great, curved sickles.
In moments, Lucas plunged on trembling legs down the tunnel as a smaller version of Cody, teeth bared for battle.
He sensed Aria swinging her tail spike, but she caught a hint of what he intended.Lucas! What are you doing?
Joining you.
Well, stay away from the Bellatis.Her words interrupted as she parried a Bellati’s spike.Find yourself a nice, gimpy Dire.
You have such faith in me.Lucas rounded a corner.
It used to be a dead end, but now the wind swirled down the tunnel, driving snow past the ducking, diving, and lunging combatants that filled it.
A flash of red scales, and Lucas saw Aria. She moved like a dancer, poised on the balls of her feet.
Not a sharding dancer. I’m a warrior.And she darted into the melee, her sword becoming a blur of motion as she sliced along the arm of a Bellati trading blows with a Legion Dragon. It distracted the Bellati, who twisted to fend off Aria, and left himself open to the other Dragon shifter.
